First Impressions / Gakusen Toshi Asterisk

「決意と決闘」 (Ketsui to Ketto)
“Decisions and Duels”

Are you telling me they’re going to use another episode on Kirin? Wahoooo!

Kirin Toudou Redux

After officially meeting Kirin last week, I totally wouldn’t turn down more time for her to shine. Luckily, the spotlight seems to have forgotten to shift and she got another episode focused on her! Leaping straight into action after last week’s cliffhanger, we were treated to an awfully cute Kirin who was strutting some of her “weaknesses” around Ayato. While I use the term weakness really loosely since being unable to swim probably isn’t that big of a problem in Asterisk’s world, it provided a great opportunity for Kirin to latch onto Ayato for a while. Not wanting to stop there though, watching them strip and sit back-to-back nearly naked did catch me off guard — more so because the pair managed to keep their wits about them and keep the whole moment from blowing up in their faces.

On the other hand, we also got to see a more confident Kirin emerge after Ayato gently pushed her toward a new path. Standing up to her uncle and proclaiming she’s more than just a tool for him to use, it felt really satisfying seeing her do it on her own without anyone backing her up. Luckily the repercussions of defying a powerful individual were mitigated by the devilish Claudia and her rather intimidating demeanor. Since the last thing we probably wanted to see was Kirin’s uncle storming off proclaiming he’d get revenge or something along those lines. That and it would have ruined that heartwarming moment when Kirin thanked him for everything he’s done for her.

Rank #1

Unlike other sword wielding protagonist, it looks like Ayato managed to climb the ladder straight to the top pretty quickly! Taking on a newly reformed Kirin and forcing the fight to follow his own pace, we got an exciting battle between the two strongest fighters in the academy. From the fancy swordplay from both fighters to Ayato busting out weapon after weapon as he finished things with an epic flip, the fight was one of the better ones I’ve seen this season.

Looking Ahead

With Allekant refusing to be forgotten, it looks like they’re just about ready to reveal the ace up their sleeves. While it feels a little cliche, two ridiculously strong mechas (or maybe its body armor?) totally matches the way I picture Allekant in my head. Besides that, it looks like Ayato and Julis might have some formidable competition heading their way of Saya and Kirin end up becoming a duo. While I was hoping that Saya might pick Lester (because who doesn’t like Lester?), I’ll admit Kirin makes more sense when you consider the bigger picture.

In any case, I’ll catch you guys next week where we’ll hopefully get more episodes like this! Ciao!

21 Comments

    1. Logical conclusion for the first Picture:

      Yeah, beside as being Fan Service (Like CPR), the idea was to spend Body heat. Even if its the back of them, there is no Sun (and they cheated in the lightning), there should be pitch black. But then how want to look for black screens for some minutes? (Anime Magic or Hollywood magic)

      WorldwideDepp
      Reply

  2. Please Nippon, do not make Adult females being jealous to Anime 13 year old kids, as if you compare males kids “dicks” with an Adult one.. Stop playing the Oppai joke with preteens.. let them be 16 years or older

    WorldwideDepp
    Reply

    1. 1. teen·ag·er
      (tēn′ā′jər)
      n.
      A person between the ages of 13 and 19; an adolescent.
      2. believe it or not girls at the age of 13 with chests like that exist. Probably not as much in Asian countries but they are starting to adopt western lifestiles rapidly as well. There are studies about it that I’m too lazy to look up but basically it has do do with the highly nutritious western diet.

      Tepoc
      Reply

  3. and i was right, looks like the Melee fighters have the bonus of Speed, where Long range fighters need to think ahead to aim, to hit. So is the Melee fights just keep moving, he is a pain in the ass for Long range fighters, until the Melee fight close in for combat. But then this is his Home, the only solution for an Long Range expert is to counter with speed (machine gun casting like Bullet Hell Shooter Bosses. Where the close in attacker see the Holes), or to switch to melee combat themselves, like our Princess now. her melee Sword is now not for Show, she know how to use it and perhaps also the “bit” muscles it came with it (A sword has its own weight, and to compensate the swing of the enemy. Like recoil of an Pistol)

    So Long range and Close range Hybrids should be mostly in the First Pages. just the specialist of them rank the first ones

    Thats my conclusion for the top tens. No i am not an Army specialist or fan, its just “Mr. Spock” logic

    WorldwideDepp
    Reply

  4. Extra novel details:
    1)Genestella are legally discriminated against in the Asterisk universe.
    If a Genestella hurts or kills another person in self-defense, the law always rules against them and they are given the most severe punishment. The IEF has failed to change this.

    2)Kirin’s uncle abuses Kirin because of jealousy issues. The uncle was supposed to inherit the Toudou school, but was passed in favour of his Genestella brother (Kirin’s father), since it was felt a Genestella was the better option in leading the mostly Genestella students.
    In response, he cut ties with the Toudous and started working at Asterisk. He’s hated his brother ever since, and by extension all Genestella, “those who stole what was rightfully his”.

    zztop
    Reply

    1. Free law lesson:

      Self Defense isn’t an absolute concept. There is a principle of proportionality. For example, if you get punched by a person and you whip out a sub machine gun and kill the guy, chances are that the court will not rule that you acted in self defense. It’s about employing enough “power” to be able to “get away” not “kill the other party”.

      That said, I can totally understand why there is a presumption against Genestalla. We saw from this episode that if a Genestalla wanted to stop an attack by a normal person, there really isn’t anything the normal person can do. Just look how Ayato and Kirin simply had to hold the hand of the uncle to stop him from doing any harm and there wasn’t anything he could do even giving the fact that he was larger and looks reasonably well built.

      So given that Kirin’s dad could have stopped the guy without unnecessarily hurting him ( the episode seemed to imply that the guy was either killed or seriously hurt ) I can completely understand why their laws presume that the Genestalla went overboard because quite simply they don’t need to go that far.

      Juan
      Reply

    1. I’d rather see an Asterisk VN rather than a game. I get an almost Fate/Hollow Ataraxia-esque feel about it, which would be awesome, plus every heroine is distinct in her own right and wouldn’t be there just to take up space. I think it’d be a big hit. 🙂

      Ryan Ashfyre
      Reply

      1. I think “magical battle harem school” anime, like Asterisk, would work perfectly in Visual Novel medium. Usually, Visual Novel can do the story aspect, world building, and character development well. And of course, I’d like to see heroine routes Show Spoiler ▼

        OnePunch_Guy
        Reply

  8. https://randomc.net/image/Gakusen%20Toshi%20Asterisk/Gakusen%20Toshi%20Asterisk%20-%2007%20-%2006.jpg

    I can hear the sounds of furiously drawing doujin artists already, and I know exactly who I want to do it too. There was a collaboration work between Kamino Ryu-ya and Girigiri Nijiro a while back on Hayate no Gotoku and it was awesome. Hayate was portrayed as an absolute boss (shocking, I know, but it was used to great effect) and I can see the same happening to Ayato here. Make it happen. Please.

    Also, new wall scroll. 😉

    https://randomc.net/image/Gakusen%20Toshi%20Asterisk/Gakusen%20Toshi%20Asterisk%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2011.jpg

    Kickass things come in small and unbearably cute packages.

    https://randomc.net/image/Gakusen%20Toshi%20Asterisk/Gakusen%20Toshi%20Asterisk%20-%2007%20-%2014.jpg

    Whoa, hold up a sec. If Ayato’s style is multi-faceted in that he can use a variety of weapons like he did against Kirin, then why hasn’t he been doing that right from the start? Does he just not do that unless he’s been forced to? I’d like to see what other weapons he’s capable of using.

    https://randomc.net/image/Gakusen%20Toshi%20Asterisk/Gakusen%20Toshi%20Asterisk%20-%2007%20-%2030.jpg

    Been wondering when those two mecha/body armors we saw in the OP would be showing up.

    https://randomc.net/image/Gakusen%20Toshi%20Asterisk/Gakusen%20Toshi%20Asterisk%20-%2007%20-%2033.jpg

    Those two are gonna make a helluva team, but maaaaaaaan, I was waiting the whole scene for our awesome-but-undeniably-flat-as-a-washboard-heroine-Saya to flip out and do something hilarious. Che, what a jip. >__>

    ALSO

    Show Spoiler ▼

    Alright then, seeya all next week. 🙂

    Ryan Ashfyre
    Reply

  10. Another pretty solid episode. I’m not a big fan of this show’s MC. He feels quite typical in every respect (awkward around girls, runs away full speed from sexual situations, etc). But I dig all the other characters. There was a nice depth these past 2 eps in regards to Kirin versus her abusive Uncle. Very glad she kicked him to the curb

    Rick Anime
    Reply

  12. Ep 08:

    Show Spoiler ▼

    WorldwideDepp
    Reply

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